


Magnus is Holding

by TRossWrites



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: F/M, Julia is trans too it's just not stated, M/M, Magnus and Julia as Angus' parents, Premature Birth, Trans Magnus Burnsides, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-03-06 17:48:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13416417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TRossWrites/pseuds/TRossWrites
Summary: One day, a very confused, very tired young man appeared at the Hammer and Tongs. He fell into the deepest love imaginable.Things can only get better.





	1. a very, very small baby

Magnus is holding a very, very small baby. 

This is not the first time Magnus has carried him, he has been for months now. Just. Not quite enough, not a full nine. He’s very small and very fragile. Magnus wishes it had been nine.

Carefully, tears running off his cheeks and onto the blanket, Magnus searches the tiny features. Maybe, if he looked real hard and close, he would find the baby’s other parent. his mama or papa and then Magnus would remember.

He only saw himself reflected back in the wide (but oh so small) nose and dark hair. The biggest difference was the shells of the baby’s ears, curling back into soft points that shone in the light. Julia sat on the bed. She’s clean, now, but just hours before, she'd been messy with Magnus and the baby and all that business. Everyone was pretty messy, it was a dirty situation. She’s here now, though. and she looks lovely as ever.

"He's so pretty, Maggie." Julia watches as he traces his fingers over the blanket, too worried about callouses to touch the soft skin. "So little. Looks like his papa." Julia crawled up to lay beside Magnus, wiping the tears off her husband's face.

Magnus offered her the bundle of blankets and Julia held the baby in her arms, tracing carpenter-rough fingers over his little face, his soft hair, his tender nose. "I love him."

Magnus' voice was a soft rumble, careful not to get too loud or scare this angel, this tiny little gift. "I wanna-. I want. Do you wanna name him?"

Julia looked up in surprise, "I thought you had an idea for it." Magnus blushed hot and ran a hand over his sweaty, tear-streaked face.

"I don’t-. I don’t think-."

"Mags." julia laid the baby down on her lap, he hadn't woken back up yet. He hadn’t been awake since Julia laid him in his daddy’s arms, freshly cleaned and shaking small fists in defiance. Magnus felt scared that his bones were too thin, the weight of his round belly would crack them. "He’s your baby, Mags. you can call him anything you like."

Magnus sniffed softly. "I. I wan' 'im to sound-. I want him to be fancy." Julia sighed and pressed a soft kiss to the side of his head. "I wanna. I was gonna call 'im Ango, but. That’s not the name for a smart kid, that isn’t the name of someone who goes anywhere. That’s a little carpenter’s boy.."

Julia nodded and adjusted the sloppy, loose wrap of his blanket that had been Magnus’ best, careful effort into a proper swaddle. "I think that’s a beautiful name."

"It's not a fancy one."

"Do you want help?" Magnus nodded and laid his head on Julias shoulder. She handed the baby back and laid him carefully in Magnus' arms. "Angus? Angus Steven Burnsides?"

"Yeah." Magnus held the premature half-elf close, carefully pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Our Angus."


	2. angus' hands

Magnus is holding Angus’ hands. 

He’s up on his Papa’s shoulders, stubby legs wrapped around Magnus’ neck. Today, a caravan came into town. It boasted in bright lettering across the side that this show was called Sizzle it Up! With Taako! and in a smaller, just as flowery font, From TV!

Angus is a clever boy, smart like his Mama. As soon as the chef had come into view with his made up face and heavy-hanging necklaces, Angus had gasped. His voice rang out, “An elf! Papa, look!” A few of those standing near them chuckled, giving Magnus a sympathetic look, but Magnus was just as transfixed as his toddler was. 

Angus was four, now, and knew enough to see he wasn’t a tiefling like his mama, but he certainly wasn’t human like his papa. Whenever Miss Ried or Mr Baker came into the shop, Angus would fill the space with questions about elves, about why he didn’t have a tail like full-elves. Sometimes, about whether they were his other parent. 

Magnus was well enough liked in Raven’s Roost. He’s helpful, strong, kind, and has all the charisma of a giant puppy, not to mention the appeal of the ever-present toddler. At Angus’ outburst, he had a few gentle pats on the back, some soft, sorry smiles. 

“It’s an elf, Papa, look!” Magnus squeezed the little hands softly and gave a gentle shushing, but Angus snuck one hand out. Magnus couldn’t see what his baby was doing, but he’d be informed later by Julia that the little boy was tugging on his own long ear. “Do you see ‘im?” 

The elf in question, the titular Taako, was caught off guard. He hadn’t managed a word out yet, and the toddler in the back row was stealing his audience. If he wasn’t so entranced by Taako, Magnus would’ve taken him further away by now and explained why they needed to be quiet, now. Instead, he slid the little guy off of his shoulders and held him tight to his chest, blowing a quick raspberry onto Angus’ cheek, then flashing an apologetic grin to the elf in the stagecoach. What else was he going to do? 

With the little boy finally silenced, Taako started up the show. It was amazing, it was perfect, Magnus wondered how easy it was to fall in love as he took a sample of soft vanilla cake from the plate. 

“My mama’s an elf.” Angus had insisted on staying after the show, Magnus didn’t have it in him to say no, and Julia was an enabler. “Or daddy. I don’t know. This is my Papa, he’s Magnus, he’s not an elf.” 

Magnus could faintly smell the bakery from the other side of the square, and the blend of spices from Taako’s cabin, and he promised himself that’s why he was breathing so deeply, not to catch a whiff of the lovely man in front of him. 

“Does he not see a lot of elves?” Magnus had never noticed the colour of a person’s mouth before. “Or do you go through this whenever he sees one?” Angus was inspecting Taako’s horses. He’d dealt with them enough to be safe, and neither Taako or Magnus really minded him playing with them. 

“Not a lot in Raven’s Roost, but… yeah. Both.” Magnus tried for a smile and found himself still lost in Taako’s eyes. 

In three hours, the caravan is gone. 

Years to follow, Magnus is still thinking about that vanilla cake.


	3. a dark oak chair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for mentions of miscarriage.

Magnus is holding a dark oak chair. 

  
It's cradled lovingly in his arms, careful of the lacquer and delicately carved designs. He's been working on it for so long, and is beyond proud of it. At his side is a boy, still very small, but up on his feet. 

  
"I'm done packing, papa!" Angus is carrying a bag made of crimson stained leather. It used to be Papa's, but its so old now that whatever label it once held is now indecipherable. "Mama helped, and I've got food, and I've got books so we can read while we're camping! Uh- oh. If you'd like." 

  
Magnus grins and sets the rocking chair down in the wagon. It's been wrapped with blankets to protect the wood during the three day journey to the competition, but Magnus is still so tender in lying it down. 

  
"Did you pack extra undies?"

  
"Yeah, but  _ you _ didn't. Me and Mama had to fix your bag." Slung over his thin-boned shoulders is a much larger backpack. "Stick these in the cart?" Angus is six now. He's getting so big, but he's still so tiny.

  
Magnus grips the boy under his shoulders and swings him up into the wagon, making him squeal. 

  
"Daddy! put me down!" He's laughing, though, and drops his backpack to grab his Papa in a bear hug. Their laughter is joined by a third chuckle.

  
"I'm gonna miss my boys." Julia is carrying a bag of burlap. Her hair is tied back in a kerchief and she's grinning almost as wide as Magnus and Ango. "You better not forget this." Julia hefts herself onto the wagon and sandwiches Angus between them in a tight hug. "Be safe." 

  
Magnus smiled and pulled back, tucking the little boy on his hip. "We will." Magnus' stomach has a familiar swell. Julia lays a hand on it. Angus peeks between them.

  
"He isn't gonna lose them, Mama. We're only gone a week." Magnus wishes his baby didn't know that a baby could be lost.

  


He wished any of their other little ones had made it. 

  
"I know. just." Julia licked her lips and huffed a soft breath through her nose. She pressed a kiss to Angus' forehead and Magnus' mouth. Then another for Ango. Then a slow one for Papa. "Go win. I'll be here when you get back."

  


Magnus and Angus get settled in the wagon and Angus tries to find his place in his book as Magnus grins over his shoulder. “I love you, Julia.”

  


Angus likes riding in the wagon, but he misses Mama more. He keeps an eye on Papa and makes sure he takes the medicine their cleric gave him to keep the baby happy and healthy. Angus is a very good big brother, and he can't wait until they get home, it's only four more months until Papa will be rocking the new baby to sleep in that dark oak rocking chair.


	4. two leather reigns

Magnus is holding two leather reigns.

 

Magnus is holding a wooden beam, cracked and charred.    
  


Magnus is holding a very, very small boy.    
  


Magnus is holding in tears.   
  


Magnus is holding the hand of his wife. 

 

Angus is holding onto his Mama’s apron.

 

Magnus holds tight to what he still has.


	5. a sweet woman's hand

Magnus is holding a sweet woman’s hand.

 

The woman has warm skin and soft eyes. Magnus keeps staring. Does he know her? Does she know him? Why does she look so familiar? Magnus wonders if she's his sister, but she's a shade too dark, and why wouldn't he recognize his own sister?

 

She promises they’re going somewhere nice. She promises he’s going to be safe here and everything’s going to feel better.

 

Magnus hopes the headaches will go away, Magnus hopes he’ll stop having to stop their wagon to throw up beside the road. Even the kind woman is worried about that.

 

Magnus sits on a bench and runs his hands over the smooth lacquer finish on it. He can hear a soft voice in the room over, The nice lady is explaining something to the tiefling gentleman who opened the door. His head is still pounding with each murmur of her voice. Magnus thinks he knows her, but he’s not very sure.

 

Someone walks past him, she’s lovely. She’s a tiefling like the shop owner, and she introduces herself as Julia Waxmen.

 

If Magnus didn’t know it was the headache, he’d swear she seemed to be glowing.

 

.

 

Magnus has been here two months and the vomit has turned into a round belly. Julia noticed it first, pulling off his shirt and running her hands over his stomach.

 

Magnus doesn't like to take off his clothes. Julia worried at first that it was dysphoria, but after so many times with his lips stretched around her, Julia learned that it had so much more to do with how kind he is.

 

Magnus is careful to make sure Julia has come. He wants it to keep happening, he wants to pull two or three shaking, gasping orgasms from her, but that's simply not an option for her type of lady.

 

So, finally, Julia’s been lovingly eaten out and sucked and rubbed, and Magnus lifts his arms to help Julia undress him.

 

She stops from kissing him and frowns, sliding her hands around his waist. “Maggie, hey, Baby, will you come feel this?”

 

.

 

The woman who guided him here is back. She spies the way he and Julia kiss over the workbench. She sees the curve of his stomach.

 

Magnus worries that the woman is going to throw up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you want to beat me up also hmu at gay80steen.tumblr.com or 4penises on twitter


End file.
